Irish actor and playwright whose controversial career spanned most of the eighteenth century. Macklin introduced the naturalistic style of acting to the English stage and became a prominent actor at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, where he accidentally killed a man while fighting over a wig. Macklin was best known for his performance of Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, a role he assumed at Drury Lane in 1741. He also wrote The Man of the World (1781), a comedy.